Category: Projects

Nothing is Finished, Nothing is Perfect, Nothing Lasts

After a lot of problem solving (budget + huge wall + fabrication + safety etc = this), I spent a really fun couple of days in March planning and making the work with Philip Hutfield from McD Marketing Ltd and Corian® using Cutting Edge plc’s amazing workshop for fabrication.

It’s made using Corian®, the same material the wall is clad in. We baked the material in a sheet 2.5 metres long (big oven) and used a mould to create the soft loop shape while the Corian® was still pliable. The work was fixed to the wall using silicone – in the same way that windows are fixed into skyscrapers. Some images to give you an idea before I get chance to document the work properly.

A huge thanks to Phil for all his hard work on the project. It will be up at Open Eye Gallery until September 2nd, unless the silicone is so strong it has to stay permanently! The work is part of the external wall, so can be seen outside of gallery opening hours, although the exhibitions inside are well worth a visit.

CUTTING EDGE ///  CORIAN® /// OPEN EYE GALLERY

Upcoming…

I am in the studio until January now working on some new things.

I’m very happy to say I shall be in a group show ‘Topophobia’ at Danielle Arnaud Gallery (opening January 12th), which tours to the Bluecoat, Liverpool in March and to Spacex, Exeter in May.

I’m also making some work for a project at artist Jo Ball‘s house in London, which will open in late January.

Lastly, I will be making a new version of ‘Inhabitant’ (it was going to happen eventually) for an exhibition called ‘Camp Out’ at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St Louis, summer 2012.

Coracle namesake

I found this online today, a coracle named after me by artist Rosalie Schweiker. I am well chuffed. Made during Das Boot, a project in Germany this summer.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

A very fitting title given how busy things have been – this is a mini residency at Burlington Arts Club taking place this week. Invited by Andrew Bracey and working alongside Kevin Hunt, Frances Disley and Dave Evans, we are spending the week making, playing, experimenting and talking. Yesterday we watched The Shining. There will be a private viewing event on Thursday 28th from 6 – 8pm.

The Emely Cafe and Reading on wheels

Last week I finished working in Cambridge after building a pod structure on wheels. I had a great time getting on with some constructing and also chatting to artist Rosalie Schweiker, who is running the ‘Emely Cafe’ at Aid & Abet at the moment.

The ‘Reading Space’ that I made was especially for Kobo Abe’s book ‘The Box Man’. The idea is that the reader can get into this space, wheel it around until they find just the right spot and settle down to read. There is a cup holder for coffee too of course and a plush red seat. A hole in the floor allows the user to out one foot through and scoot themselves about flintstones-style.

Rosalie kindly filmed some short snippets of me road-testing the reading pod. Here I use it to steal cake.

Reading Space on The Emely’s vimeo channel

Artist Corinna Spencer has also taken some great photos of the exhibition – see them on Flikr here

Small Scale Survival

Aid & Abet launch their new, exciting space opposite Cambridge Station this week with Small Scale Survival. The other artists have been working in the space for a week or two and I am due to visit on Wednesday with some maquettes and zines to add to the opening show. I will make another visit during April to make work on site, working with found materials in the space and responding to the other work.

The space will be open to the public from 12 noon on 9th April.

Little Plug

Mercy have put Cardboard Folly in their top five collaborative projects of the year in an article that’s just been published on creativetimes.co.uk. Flattered. I should also take the opportunity to apologise for not having a PDF of it online yet. Each issue takes a couple of hours to assemble, so the poor artists have not even had their copies yet! Soon, very soon!

Manchester Contemporary

From 28th – 31st October I will be showing ‘Temporary Measure’ with Axis at The Manchester Contemporary art fair.

http://www.themanchestercontemporary.co.uk/

Before that, Cardboard Folly will be on display at the Bluecoat from 21st October, so this week will be mainly getting work printed and collating copies. There is so much to do but I have some fantastic artists involved and the work that has already arrived is really great.

The artists involved are:

Jo Ball | Lucy Brown | Nick Cass | Damian Cruikshank | Birgit Deubner | Sarra Facey | Rebecca Foster | Emma Gregory | Kevin Hunt | Nathan Jones | Tabitha Moses | Gordon Shrigley | Emily Speed | Frances Stacey | Kirsty Tinkler | Andrew Warstat | Sinta Werner | Rich White.

image: Rebecca Foster’s contribution to Cardboard Folly.

On top of that workload, my twin sister is opening a new business, Recrafted, consisting of workshops and a shop selling handmade British craft. It’s already looking amazing, but I have more painting and hand-painted signs to create before the opening on the 15th October. She’s very talented and I’m very pleased she is taking such a big leap to do this. Cupcakes over the opening weekend, so if you’re in the area come and say hi!

Drawing Shed animation

Here it is finally; the resulting animation from the drawing I did at PSL in August. It clearly has issues, like some wobbles, focus and other things, but as a first attempt I am going to try and let those things go and just enjoy the destruction.

Drawing Shed week 5: Emily Speed

There are also some images of the project and collaborative drawing evening at PSL on their Drawing Shed blog